Chew on This | Rugelach Cookies

Rugelach.  Yum!  

If you're a coffee or tea drinker, these cookies are the perfect compliment.

If you're not a coffee or tea drinker, these cookies are a perfect compliment.  To themselves.

You are going to find yourself eating more than your fair share.  And someone else's fair share.  Thank goodness this recipe makes four dozen (or more).  Yahoo!

Let's start with butter and cream cheese.  A very good place to begin indeed!

Allow them to come to room temperature then whip them together until light and fluffy.

Add your sugar, vanilla and salt and mix again.  Next comes the flour.  Add slowly and mix until just combined.

Dump your dough out onto a floured surface, roll into a ball then divide into four smaller balls. 

Flatten to form into disks, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Roll out one disk and spoon two tablespoons of apricot preserves onto dough.

Spread almost to the edge.

.Now add your chopped walnut mixture.  Press into the surface to adhere the goodness to the preserves

Cut the dough into slices, like a pizza.  I got 16 slices out of this disk of dough. 

Roll the slices like a crescent roll.  Starting from the large end and rolling to the point.

Place on the cookie sheet.  Egg wash.  Sprinkle with sugar.  And bake!

Ahhh....

What.  Only one?  

Oh yes.  That's just one left.  For you.  Sorry, I ate the other fifteen.  Burp.

Cares

Here's the recipe:

Rugelach

(adapted from Ina Garten)

Preheat oven to 350℉

Dough:

8 ounces softened cream cheese

2 sticks butter (1/2 pound)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 t salt

1 t vanilla

2 cups flour

Cream together cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment until fluffy.  Mix in your sugar, salt and vanilla.  Next, slowly begin to add your flour, mixing on low speed.  Once combined, turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll into a ball.  Quarter the ball and wrap each quarter in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Filling:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 cup apricot preserves (or preserve flavor of your choice)

In a bowl, combine sugars, cinnamon and chopped walnuts.  Set aside.

When dough has chilled, roll out one disk onto a floured surface.  Spoon 2 T of your apricot preserves onto the dough and spread almost to the edge of dough round.  Sprinkle approximately 1/2 cup of your walnut, sugars and cinnamon mixture on top of the preserves.  Press mixture into the preserves to adhere.  Cut dough round into slices, like a pizza.  Roll up the slices from the large end to the point, like a crescent roll.  Place on prepared cookie sheet.

1 egg, beaten with 1 T milk or water, for egg wash

3 T sugar

Brush each cookie with egg wash then sprinkle lightly with sugar.  Place into the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!